JVM Notes 9th Science

JINDAL VIDYA MANDIR

Standard 9th Chapter 5 Fundamental Unit Of Life Text-Book Exercise and
Subject: Science Additional Questions

Intext Questions Page 59

Question 1: Who discovered cells and how?

Answer 1: Cells were discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665. He observed the honeycomb-
like structure in a cork slice using a basic microscope.

Question 2: Why is cell called the structural and functional unit of life?
Answer 2: All living organisms are made up of a basic unit called cell. Each living cell has
the capacity to perform certain basic functions that are characteristics of all living forms.
A cell is able to live and perform all its functions because of these organelles. Each kind
of cell organelle performs a special function such as making new material in the cell,
clearing up the waste material from the cell and so on. Because of these reasons, cells are
called basic structural and functional unit of life.

Intext Questions Page 61

Question 1: How do substances like CO2 and water move in and out of the cell? Discuss.
Answer 1: The substances like carbon dioxide and water move in and out of a cell by
diffusion from the region of high concentration to low concentration. When the
concentration of carbon dioxide and water is higher outside the cell than inside the cell,
CO2 and water move inside the cell.When the concentration outside the cell becomes low
and it is high inside the cell, they move out.

Question 2: Why is the plasma membrane called a selectively permeable membrane?

Answer 2: The cell membrane or the plasma membrane is known as a
selectively permeable membrane because it regulates the movement of substances in and
out of the cell. This means that the plasma membrane allows the entry of only some
substances and prevents the movement of some other materials.

Intext Questions Page 63

Question 1 (Solved in Exercise questions)

Intext Questions Page 65

Question 1: Can you name the two organelles we have studied that contain their own
genetic material? Answer 1: Mitochondria and plastids.

Question 2: If the organisation of a cell is destroyed due to some physical or chemical

influence, what will happen?
Answer 2: If any damage happens to the cell due to any influence the cell will not be able
to perform any basic functions like respiration, nutrition, etc. This may stop all life
activities. This is when lysosome bursts and enzyme digest such cells.

Question 3: Why are lysosomes known as suicide bags?

Answer 3: Lysosomes are the vesicular structures that contain digestive enzymes. These
enzymes in lysosomes are capable of breaking down any foreign body entering the cell. At
times, lysosomes can cause self-destruction of a cell by releasing these digestive enzymes
within the cells. This is the reason lysosomes are called suicidal bags.
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Question 4: Where are proteins synthesized inside the cell?

Answer 4: Proteins are synthesized in the ribosomes. These ribosomes are small
structures found either suspended in the cytoplasm or attached to the surface of the
endoplasmic reticulum.

EXERCISE QUESTIONS

Question 1: Make a comparison and write down ways in which plant cells are different
from animal cells.

Answer 1:

Animal cell Plant cell

1 Animal cells are smaller compared to Plants cells are comparatively
plant cells. larger.
2 Cell wall is absent. Cell wall is present.

3 Plastids are absent. Plastids are present.

4 Vacuoles are smaller in size and One central large vacuole is
more in number. present

Question 2: How is a prokaryotic cell different from a eukaryotic cell?

Answer 2:

Prokaryotic cell Eukaryotic cell

1 Unicellular Multicellular
2 Small in size Comparatively larger
3 Nuclear membrane absent or the cell True nucleus bound by a nuclear
lacks a true nucleus. membrane is present in the cell.
4 It contains more than one
It contains a single chromosome. chromosome.
5 The nucleolus is absent. The nucleolus is present.
6 Membrane-bound cell organelles are
absent. Cell organelles are present.
7 Cell division occurs by mitosis and
Cell division occurs only by mitosis. meiosis.
8 Prokaryotic cells are found in bacteria Eukaryotic cells are found in fungi,
and blue-green algae. plants, and animal cells.

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Question 3: What would happen if the plasma membrane ruptures or breaks down?
Answer 3: As the plasma membrane regulates the movement of substances in and out of
the cell by diffusion or osmosis, if there is any rupture on the plasma membrane then the
cell might leak out its contents.

Question 4: What would happen to the life of a cell if there was no Golgi apparatus?
Answer 4: If there was no Golgi apparatus packaging of the proteins or the structural
protein arrangement will not happen inside a cell. If proteins are not transported,
metabolism in the cell will not take place and eventually the cell will die.

Question 5: Which organelle is known as the powerhouse of the cell? Why?

Answer 5: Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of cells. The energy required for
various chemical activities needed for life is released by mitochondria in the form of ATP
molecules. The body uses energy stored in ATP for making new chemical compounds and
for mechanical work. For this reason, mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of
cells.

Question 6: Where do the lipids and proteins constituting the cell membrane get
synthesized?
Answer 6: Lipids are synthesised in smooth endoplasmic reticulum whereas proteins are
synthesised in Rough endoplasmic reticulum

Question 7: How does an Amoeba obtain its food?

Answer 7: Amoeba acquires its food through a process called endocytosis. Amoeba has a
flexible plasma membrane which enables the cell to engulf the food particles and other
materials from its external environment.

Question 8: What is osmosis?

Answer 8: Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a region of high-water
concentration to low water concentration through a selectively permeable membrane till
equilibrium is reached.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Question 1 What is cell wall made up of ?

Answer: Cell wall is made up of cellulose.

Question 2. Give an example of unicellular organism.

Answer: Amoeba, Bacteria, Paramecium. (Any one)

Question 3. Give an example of multicellular organism.

Answer: Fungi, plants, animals.

Question 4. What is the intracellular source of digestive enzyme?

Answer: Lysosome

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Question 5. What is endocytosis?

Answer: Endocytosis is the ingestion or engulfment of food and other material by folding
of the plasma membrane it as seen in Amoeba.

Question 6. Where are genes located?

Answer: Genes are located on chromosomes in the nucleus.

Question 7. Which organelle is involved in the formation of lysosomes?

Answer: Golgi apparatus

Question 8. What is the outermost layer found in animal cells?

Answer: Plasma membrane.

Question 9. What is the outermost layer found in the plant cell?

Answer: Cell wall.

Question 10. Which organelle is the storage sac of solid and liquid materials?

Answer: Vacuoles.

Question 11. Which organelle serves as a channel for transport of materials between
cytoplasm and nucleus?

Answer: Endoplasmic reticulum.

Question 12. What is microscope?

Answer: Microscope is an optical instrument consisting of a lens or combination of

lenses which renders minute objects distinctly visible.

Question 13. What are chromosomes made up of?

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Answer: Chromosomes are made up of DNA and protein.

Question 14. Define plasmolysis.

Answer: It is the shrinkage of cytoplasm due to loss of water when kept in a hypertonic
medium.

Question 15. What is a nucleoid?

Answer: The undefined nuclear region in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes is known as

nucleoid.

Question 16. Which organelles other than nucleus contain DNA?

Answer: Mitochondria and plasmids contain DNA.

Question 17. Name the only cell organelle seen in prokaryotic cell.

Answer: Ribosomes.

Question 18. Which organelle detoxify many poisons and drugs in a cell?

Answer: Smooth endoplasmic reticulum

Question 19. Define diffusion.

Answer: Movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration, on their own, to a

region of lower concentration is called diffusion.

Question 20. Why is endocytosis found in animals only? [NCERT Exemplar]

Answer: For endocytosis to occur, the outermost membrane should be flexible like the
plasma membrane of animals. But in plant cells, cell wall is the outermost membrane
which is very rigid. Hence, endocytosis occurs only in animals and not in plants.

Question 21. Which cell organelle controls most of the activities of the cell? [NCERT
Exemplar]

Answer: Nucleus, also known as the brain of the cell, controls most of the activities of the
cell because it contains DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) which contains all the information of
the cell.

Question 22. Describe the microscopic structure of the cell.

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 JVM Notes 9th Science
Answer: The cork cells were the first cells to be observed. They were composed of box-like
compartments, forming a honeycomb structure. Cell organelles are found embedded in
the cytoplasm. These are smaller in size and bounded by plasma membrane.

Question 23. There would be no plant life if chloroplasts did not exist. Justify.

Answer: Chloroplasts contain the pigment chlorophyll which is responsible for food
preparation in plants by the process of photosynthesis . Hence, if there were no
chloroplasts then there would not have been any plant life.

Question 24. Why is the Golgi apparatus called the secretary organelle of the cell?

Answer: This is because it packages material synthesised in the ER and dispatches it to

intracellular (plasma membrane and lysosomes) and extracellular (cell surface) targets.

Question 25. What are the functional regions of a cell?

Answer: There are three major functional regions of cells:

• cell membrane or plasma membrane,

• nucleus and

• cytoplasm.

Question 26. What is cell sap? Give its composition.

Answer: Liquid content in the vacuoles of plant cell is called cell sap. The cell sap
contains sugars, amino acid, proteins, minerals and metabolic wastes.

Question 27. Why are peroxisomes mostly found in kidney and liver cells?
Answer: Peroxisomes contain various oxidative enzymes which detoxify the toxic material.
Since the blood carries various toxic substances to kidney and liver, a large number of
peroxisomes are present in them to oxidise the toxic material.

Question 28. What do you mean by plasmodesmata?

Answer: Due to the presence of cell wall the exchange of materials between the plap.t
cells is not possible. Therefore, protoplasts of plant cells are connected by cytoplasmic
channels through their walls which are called as plasmodesmata. These channels are
used for the exchange of the material between two cells.

Question 29 Why do the animal cells not have cell wall?

Answer: Animals do not have rigid walls because cell walls are incompatible with the
way in which an animal moves and grow. The flaccid cell membrane provides the
animal cell freedom of mobility and formation of different tissues which is not present
in plants.

Question 30. Why are the Golgi bodies found in large numbers in the cells which
secrete digestive enzymes?

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 JVM Notes 9th Science
Answer: The main function of Golgi bodies is to release proteins or enzymes by vesicles.
No other organelle has this property. Therefore, these are largely present in secreting
cells.

Question 31. What is the significance of pores present on the nuclear membrane?

Answer: The pores present on the nuclear membrane allow transport of water-soluble
molecules across the nuclear

Question 32. Do you agree "A cell is a building unit of an organism”. If yes, explain
why. [NCERT Exemplar]

Answer: An organism is made up of various organ systems like digestive system,

nervous system, etc. These organ systems in turn are made up of various organs which
are made up of tissues. Also tissues are a group of cells performing the same function.
Hence, a cell is the building unit of an organism. Cell → tissue – organ → organ system
→ organism

Question 33. If you are provided with some vegetables to cook, you generally add salt
into the vegetables. After adding salt, vegetables release water. Why? [NCERT
Exemplar]

Answer: When salt is added, a hypotonic medium is created, i.e., the concentration of
salt molecules is more outside the vegetables than inside. Hence, due to osmosis water
from the vegetables come out.

Question 34. How are chromatin, chromatid and chromosomes related to each other?
[NCERT Exemplar]

Answer: Chromatin is a thin thread-like structure which is composed of DNA (deoxy

ribonucleic acid) and proteins to form a rod-like chromatid. Two similar chromatids
attach to a centromere to form a chromosome.

Question 35 Draw a neat labelled diagram of plant cell and animal cell

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